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Matt Williams 12/8/02
Mr. Morris English/p.6
The theological concept of humankind's innate wickedness created tension in the lives of seventeenth century New England Puritans. The Puritans believed that humans were born sinful and remained in this condition throughout life. These basic Puritan concepts can be illustrated by the common belief that justice has been served when misfortune happens to those who do not live within the boundaries of what the society accepts as morally right, and that the religious figure heads of the time had total authority of how the society was governed.
Jonathan Edwards illustrates the basic concept of human corruption and fate in his fierce rhetoric "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God". Edwards hoped to inspire his drifting worshippers a fear of God's reprisal of their evil ways and repent, for only those who live their lives on this earth as an instrument of God can be redeemed. This is a perfect example of how the Puritans were brought up and were told to lead their lives. This can also show how the leaders of the time would use shock tactics to try and bring back the members of the society to the church. He also preached about the strict moral code that all must follow, and this created much uneasiness among those in the culture.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, in his novel The Scarlet Letter, explains the ways in which society will cast out any individual for standing apart from the common crowd. It also shows the ways in which a person was punished by an entire community and could not be forgiven. A group of people with such over powering ethical beliefs, as in the case of the puritans, have to have a place to focus their anger. They all live in fear that they themselves will become an outcast, and because of increasing tension within the town, they deal with the problem the only way they know how, and force Hester to leave the town. The Puritans were not the type...
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